At The Edge
by kiwi4me
Summary: He was dead. She knew that. So why was she still feeling all those feelings she thought she left behind?
1. Prologue

** At the Edge**

by kiwi4me and BananaBabe903

* * *

_Summary: He was dead. She knew that. So why was she still feeling all those feelings she thought she left behind? _

* * *

It had been a few months after the war; the damn war that took away those she cared about, those she loved. Every time she thought about the aftermath of the war, she was enveloped by way too many emotions she didn't dare show to anyone. She didn't want them to see her cry –she already didn't like the fact her friends seen her at her worst because a ninja was never supposed to show any emotions. She didn't want to hear the screams, see the bloods, and feel the sting of muscles pushed too far from its limits. She didn't want to think about it. War brought nothing but misery in her mind.

Speaking of mind, the blonde female scowled.

She had always had her mind. She used her jutsu to control minds, to invade and ripped her enemies apart with it. She had finished plenty of missions successfully with her jutsu and saved many lives with it.

Now she was at the threshold.

She already knew what would happen if she continued to use her mind controlling jutsu. She would possibly lose herself; fall to her knees as she breaks. She'd probably forget people no matter how long she knew them. She would probably not be herself anymore or maybe she would die from the excess use of said jutsu. Either way, she couldn't find it in herself to care.

This was her jutsu and she be damned if she was restricted from using it.

"I know you are angry Ino," came the voice of Tsunade's, "... but it is for the best."

The young blonde female did not reply as she stared blankly at her leader.  
She could still use other methods to succeed in her missions and she has gotten better in other fighting styles. So nodding her head, she stood and attempted to leave, but the Hokage spoke once more.

"It is important that you do not use your family jutsu Ino," Tsunade spoke sternly, "… the results may be unimaginable."

"Hai Tsunade sama," she bowed to the older female and walked out of the door.

She was walking around, lost to the world. She felt unlike herself and she blamed the war. Things changed, people changed, and yet everything remains the same: same village, same people, same innocent naïve faces.

Forcing a smile and waving to those who had greeted her, she continued her walk to a spot where she needed to clear her head. As she neared her destination, she recognized someone there. Her eyes widened and she found herself hyperventilating for a brief moment unsure if what she was seeing was real or if it was her imagination. Nearing the figure cautiously, she called out to him.

"What are you doing?" she stated as she waited for his reply.

He turned and she found her resolved fade. His eyes were still those pearly whites and his hair was still dark and long. Even his clothes were fresh and clean as if he hadn't been in war. As if he hadn't died. As if he was still alive.

"Ino," his voice was still the same in her ears and she found herself unsure what to do.

She glanced around her to see a few people walking by no acknowledging them. Looking back at the figure, she took cautious steps near him. Once she was in front of him, she forced herself not to reach out to him. She spoke instead.

"You didn't answer my question," she commented watching him closely.

He blinked and looked over her shoulder. She continued to watch the way he looked ignorant to her being there, but the slight crease of his eye brows and the small downward curve of his lips told her he was contemplating his answer.

"You're the only one who can see me," he finally said as he looked back into teal eyes.

Ino found herself staring at him with wide eyes and her mouth hung a little low. What did he mean by that? It took her mind a few moments to catch up and when she did, Ino reached out her hand to touch him.

She only touched air.

"Ghost…" she started slowly as she retrieved her hand that passed through him.

Looking up at him, he looked sad and she found him so attractive like that. Shaking her head out of her thoughts, she contemplated on what to say.

"How long have you been hanging around?" she questioned.

"A few months," he replied looking at her.

"After the war," Ino stated and he nodded, "… so no one else can see you?"

He nodded again and she sighed.

She was talking to a dead man, a ghost of all things. Other people probably see her talking to herself and she frowned at that thought. Her name has gone through the gossip mill plenty of times and her being crazy was not one of them. Oh, her enemies would like that wouldn't they.

"Well," she sighed as she turned around to face whatever he was looking at, "… I don't know what you're going to do."

Crossing her arms and sighing, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She really must be at the threshold if she could see ghosts. Speaking of ghosts, aren't they supposed to leave the place of the living and move on to another dimension? Maybe he had something to finish causing him to stay roaming?

She glanced behind her at him.

"Why do you think you're still here?" she questioned facing forward once more.

"I don't know," he replied honestly.

Well, she figured she would help. There really was no use in just wallowing on not being able to use her family jutsu. Besides, she wouldn't be getting any missions any time soon; at least not a C-rank and above. Yes, she was stuck to D-rank missions, but helping the ghost sounded much more interesting and exciting.

"I'll help you," she turned fully facing him.

"Why?" he questioned never remembering the two of them as anything more than acquaintances.

"No reason," she smiled brightly at him and began to walk off.

She paused and turned to him.

"Are you coming?" she questioned.

He took steps toward her and fell into steps beside her. He was happy someone could see him and he was thankful for her help. Her questions did strike a chord in him, however. Why was he still here? What was the reason? Was there a reason to begin with?  
Lost in his thoughts, he didn't realize they were in front of her home. As she opened the door, she entered with him trailing behind.

"Welcome home Neji," he heard her say and saw her lips curve before she headed to the kitchen.

He smiled, but she missed it.

* * *

**Authors' Note:**

Hello everyone! This is a collaboration story for NejixIno fans! BananaBabe903 and I will try our best to post new chapters soon! Please let us know how you like it so far :) The writings are still in progress so any comments would be appreciated!

Thank you for taking your time to read! Much love.

love, kiwi4me

PS: there is a poll up on my profile Be sure to vote for your person :)


	2. Distracted

**At the Edge**

by kiwi4me and BananaBabe903

* * *

_Summary: He was dead. She knew that. So why was she still feeling all those feelings she thought she left behind?_

* * *

"—and then Naruto has so much piling on his shoulders, and he's barely sleeping, and I mean I know Hokage-sama wants him to work on rebuilding the village and settling peace treaties with the other villages, but don't you think that she should do that since she's the Hokage? Poor Naruto doesn't even have time for cup ramen anymore! He burns his tongue if he scarves it down, and-," Sakura prattled on, whilst filing through various papers for her patient's medical record. Another check-up for another wounded soldier.

Ino wasn't listening though, her attention focused towards the window, where a lark flitted past whilst singing a song. She leaned her cheek on her flat palm, and muttered an occasional "Mhmm" and "Yeah" to reassure Sakura that her reasoning was completely normal. Sakura went on and on about the living members of the Konoha Twelve's problems, whereas Ino focused on the… less alive problems.

"—so I told him… Ino… Ino?" Sakura waved her hand in front of the blonde's face. "Are you listening to me?"

Ino snapped back, facing her friend. "Hmm? Oh yeah. You were saying about Naruto."

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed together, making her already large forehead appear even more monstrous than usual. Normally, Ino would've commented on it, but her mind was preoccupied elsewhere. "That was five minutes ago. I was talking about Lee." She leaned towards Ino and pressed the back of her hand against her friend's forehead. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Ino flinched away. "Yeah, I'm fine." She stood up and headed towards the door, stretching out her back. "I just need some air. Being cramped up in this tiny sick house all day doing paperwork is making my skin dry." Before she exited, she flashed her friend a reassuring smile. Sakura seemed to buy it, and simply nodded, turning back to her paperwork, not noticing the smile vanishing from Ino's face in seconds.

Exiting the hospital, Ino wrapped her arms around her body. A sudden breeze had overtaken the village, the leaves rustling on the branches wildly in an almost ominous manner.

Why had Neji not left? Did that mean he wasn't at peace? But what was keeping him behind, keeping him attached to Konoha? And what did it mean when she could see him and no one else could? He said she was the only one who could see him, meaning even those closest to him like Lee or Hinata couldn't see him. The whole thing was odd, really. Something was strikingly eerie about this situation, although Ino couldn't quite put her finger on it. Something was keeping the Hyuuga tied to the earth, and she had something to do with it.

How was she supposed to act when she was him? Moreover, when would she see him? Would he simply pop out of thin air, spittle more ominous words, and then vanish again? A knot twisted in her gut, and she took several deep breaths until she felt relaxed again.

Something about the Hyuuga put her on edge. Even when he was alive. Whenever she saw him, this deep feeling pitted in her stomach. There was tension—at least, on her part. She never knew what he thought, what he dreamt—he hardly spoke. Whereas her orbs were as placid as the clear sea, his were misty and hard to read. He was completely unreadable. Ino had to often ignore the urge to read his mind, just to see what the brilliant Hyuuga prodigy thought of, what he dreamt, what it was like to be him. What he thought when he saw her.

Suddenly, she felt something warm trickle down her cheek. A single tear had fallen without her realizing. "Why am I crying?" she wondered aloud, her voice surprisingly tight and shaky. "Why… why am I like this?" although the breeze had ceased, there was still a chill running through her bones. Something, she realized, about Neji made her miserable. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Something about him shook her to her very core, made her want to laugh and cry at the same time. And he was back. He was back, or maybe she was just insane.

"You are crying."

She spun around, finding herself face-to-face with his apparition, although everything about him seemed so flesh and blood. She quickly wiped the tear from her face. "I'm not crying." She crossed her arms over her chest, and blew her bangs out of her face. She tried to muster as hard of a look as possible.

"Do not lie to me."

Ino let out a slightly bitter laugh, trying to ignore the tears building up behind her blue orbs. What about this boy brought tears to her eyes? "This is your fault, you know," she snapped.

For one second a look of surprise flashed against his face—if Ino had blinked she would have missed it. As quick as it was there, it was gone, and his face was neutral again. "My fault?" he slowly repeated, as if speaking to a small child.

"Mhmm." She had no idea where she was going with this. How could she explain her tears to Neji if she didn't understand them herself? "You had to be selfish and die, didn't you?" she blurted out, the words flying from her mouth before she could think about them.

Neji this time, did not look surprised. He silently waited for her to continue.

"I mean, did you know what Naruto went through? He was in anguish. Sure, it motivated him to win the war, but afterwards? Did you see what Lee went through? What Hinata went through?" What I went through, she silently added. Continuing, she accused, "Where were you then, huh? Why, of all times, as soon as everyone's beginning to move on, did you show up now? In front of me, of all people?"

He said nothing. Perhaps he was waiting to see if she had more to say, but she didn't. She couldn't.

"Perhaps you can see me, because we had little interaction. For example, if I were to appear in front of Naruto, or Lee, or Hinata, when I left again wouldn't it have been far worse? Whereas you, whom I have no connection with, wouldn't it be like saying goodbye to a stranger?" he asked matter-of-factly, his head cocking to the side. "Besides, why are you so distraught?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Because I… I…" her voice softened. She shook the feeling from her body and loudly snorted, "Do you even have a sense of humor? Why are you so cold? I thought dead people would at least be a little more relaxed, a little more at peace."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Well obviously, Yamanaka, I am not at peace," he deadpanned.

Ino's eyes widened, finding herself at a loss for words. "I, uhh… I… I mean…"

Something Ino had never thought would happen in a thousand years occurred at that exact moment, when Neji chuckled, and said, "I was joking."

Suddenly, Ino found herself laughing along with him wildly. He looked at her oddly, at first, but then soon continued laughing with her. Ino was laughing and crying, although she hoped that he wouldn't notice the latter.

But like always, he did.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

So here is the next chapter! All credits to BananaBabe903 :)

Thank you **ShikaInoInuKikIchiHime36** and of course, **BananaBabe903**!

Stay tune for more.

love, kiwi4me


	3. Steady

**At the Edge**

by kiwi4me and BananaBabe903

* * *

_Summary: He was dead. She knew that. So why was she still feeling all those feelings she thought she left behind?_

* * *

She was happy.

It was as if his presence made her feel safer, but how is that possible when he was a ghost? How could he save her or protect her? She didn't know, but when he shows up near her she would feel lighter. At first, she was confused and frustrated. How could something, someone, like him make her feel this way even after death. She remembered when he was alive and breathing, just staying in the same room made her heart beat a little too quick and a little too fast. She knew what it meant. She wasn't a stranger to love or this feeling. But like all her crushes, she got over them. However, this man still wormed his way into the pit of her heart and lay dormant until he was near. Ino remembered when he died, it was depressing. She could barely smile and just looking at Hinata or Lee would make her tear up. But she moved on.  
Obviously, he didn't.  
"Hey," she looked at him with tired eyes, "… you just going to stand there?"  
She was currently filling out her papers for her patients and he had showed up in her office. He just stood there and watched her as if she was some fascinating creature. She was blushing in the beginning from such attention, but she was annoyed after a while.  
"Does it bother you?" he questioned as he continued watching her.  
"No," she deadpanned, "… I'm only telling you cause I want you to stare at me."  
"Then it doesn't bother you," he folded his arms.  
She let out a deep sigh and a pout to see him smirking. She would smile at how handsome he looked, but she was tired. She stood from her spot and placed everything in the folder. When she was done, she placed the folders in the drawers and headed out of her office.  
"Are you heading home?" he questioned slightly in wonder and realized he said home and not her home. Was he getting comfortable already?  
"I'm meeting Sakura for lunch," Ino stated with a shrug, "… you're welcome to come with," she glanced behind him.  
He didn't reply, but he did disappear and she frowned a little from that. So heading to the meeting spot, she headed in to see locks of pink. Waving over to her, she sat before Sakura. Ordering her drink, she listened to Sakura talk about the same thing… again. Ino rolled her eyes and nodded from time to time. She couldn't believe she was living this again. It was déjà vu. The only thing surprising would be the pale eyed man sitting beside her best friend. Blinking him in, Neji looked at the pinkette with a strange face. Ino laughed and Sakura grinned.  
"And here I thought you've gone mad," Sakura stuck her chest out proud, "… glad I was wrong."  
"Why would you think that?" Ino said suddenly serious.  
"You've been acting weird," the pinkete started, "… like you're talking to someone else and you've been slowly avoiding everyone. Is something going on?"  
Ino stared and stared.  
"I'm fine, just tired," Ino admitted with a wave, "… I'm sure Tsunade told you, didn't she?"  
"Oh yeah," Sakura nodded, "… sorry Ino."  
"It's fine," she glanced to the male beside her, "… got other problems to deal with anyways."  
"Hm," Sakura nodded, "… well, glad you're still that tough little girl," she smirked.  
"And you're still that little smarty pants," Ino grinned and they laughed.  
She saw from the corner of her eyes, Neji was shaking his head, but he was smiling.  
-o-o-  
"You two are strange," Neji stated when she was sitting on the couch.  
"Don't be jealous Neji," she smirked, "… you know you wish you were us."  
He didn't say anything and she wondered if he did. He was never really close to anyone like Sakura and herself. Would Lee or Tenten be considered the same level of friendship with him as her relationship with Sakura? She already knew they weren't.  
"Where do you go when you're not here?" she questioned taking a sip of her water.  
"Visiting," his voice sounded solemn and almost heartbreaking.  
"Oh," she sounded and looked away.  
"I'd like to ask you a question," he spoke up after a brief silence.  
"Sure," she looked at him and waited.  
"Is it better," he stared straight at her, "… since the war. Has things been better?"  
She took some time to think about it. Were things better? People have moved on and lived the days like any other. Some have gone to do great things and others stayed the same. She wasn't quite sure what he was getting at. Did he see something that he shouldn't have? Did he witness a crime and was unable to stop it?  
"I guess," she sighed, "… Naruto obviously is getting closer to his dream; Sakura is probably going to be head of the hospital at this rate, and Tenten has been going to the academy to teach the kids how to throw correctly. Oh and –"  
"That's not what I asked Yamanaka," he stated.  
"Don't interrupt me," she frowned and folded her arms.  
"I apologize," he sighed, "… I heard someone say things are as bad as they were before."  
"Really?" Ino looked surprised, "… who said this?" she questioned.  
"No one you should be concerned about," he looked at her.  
"Neji," she stated sternly, "… who told you?" she waited and he looked away, "… don't you dare disappear on me Neji! If you do right now, I will not welcome you back into my home," she threatened.  
He blinked in slightly shocked from her statement before he let out a breath.  
"Kiba," Neji answered.  
"The mutt," Ino frowned angrily and stood.  
"Are you going to confront him?" he questioned and she nodded, "… how would you know what he said if you weren't there," he clarified, "… and I'm dead."  
She huffed out angrily and hung her head as she looked at the ceiling.  
"You're right," she rubbed her forehead, "… maybe I can ask him what he thinks first and when he says that," she rubbed her fist in her palm, "… I would kick his stupid little a—" she stopped herself and pursed her lips.  
"You have such foul language, it really surprised me hearing so much coming from your mouth," he admitted.  
"I never said I was an angel," she laughed.  
"No, you didn't," he chuckled and she rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue.  
She does enjoy his company, but she wished she could do more than have conversations with him. She really wished she could hug him, but she couldn't and it sadden her. Even when he shows his presence again, she still couldn't touch him.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hi everyone! Thank you to **ShikaInoInuKikIchiHime36** for reviewing! Hope this story is going well :)

I am excited for the next chapter! Interested in the KibaxIno interaction! :D

love, kiwi4me


End file.
